1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to floor cleaning extractors. In one of its aspects, it relates to an upright extraction cleaner with a power drive assembly to move the cleaner across a floor surface to be cleaned. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to an upright extraction cleaner with a reversible power drive assembly for movement backward and forward. In yet another of its aspects, the invention relates to an upright extraction cleaner with a power drive assembly that is operated by a push-pull handle for forward and reverse movement over a floor to be cleaned. In still another of its aspects, the invention relates to an upright extraction cleaner with a reversible power drive assembly that can be locked in a neutral position.
2. Description of the Related Art
Upright extraction cleaners include a handle pivotally mounted to a base housing, a solution dispensing system and a solution recovery system. Such an upright extraction cleaner is disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,237. The disclosed upright extraction cleaner includes a suction nozzle in the base and an agitation brush in the suction nozzle, the suction nozzle being fluidly connected to a suction source and a recovery tank. Soil-bearing solution from a surface being cleaned is transported to the recovery tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,740 discloses a power-driven upright vacuum cleaner having a base housing and a pivotally mounted upright handle.
Upright extraction cleaners generally tend to be larger and heavier than upright vacuum cleaners, particularly when in use and the solution dispensing system is charged with a cleaning solution for application to a surface. Upright extraction cleaners are also known to have an optimal operating speed for dispensing and, particularly, extracting cleaning solution from a surface being cleaned, as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/593,126, filed Jun. 13, 2000, and entitled EXTRACTION CLEANING MACHINE WITH CLEANING CONTROL now U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,302. A power drive system can be used in conjunction with the disclosed cleaning control system, although upright extraction cleaners having a pivotally mounted upright handle are not known to be equipped with a power drive system.
It would be advantageous to provide an upright extraction cleaner with a power drive system for assisting the user in transporting the weight of the extraction cleaner over the surface being cleaned at an optimized speed for applying and recovering a cleaning solution from the surface.